Diablo 3 - How the endgame failed @ PC Gamer

The auction house is all-consuming at high levels in Diablo 3. Drop rates have been modified upwards extensively since launch and the Paragon levels added in a recent patch lets players increase drop rates by 3% with every ding. Nonetheless, I canít remember the last time a usable item dropped for my level 60 Barbarian. The odds that Iíll discover anything that I can directly equip seem absurdly small. At Inferno level, gear is everything. Youíre as tough as the armour youíre wearing. To get precisely what youíll need, the auction house is the only viable option.
Diablo 3 has become a game about gold. Its endgame, with the auction house at its heart, is about slow, incremental progression, cash runs and repeated boss raids. It relies on grind-heavy objectives that feel very different to the rush of new skills I enjoyed on the journey to level 60.

I feel like taking a red marker to that article and writing "See me after class". The only point I think he gets right is about the lack of guild support, and that's being generous as he seems to believe lack of support means there are no clans/guilds.

I didn't read the whole article, just the quoted part, but I don't see why the auction house is such a bad thing. I actually like the idea of having to use the auction house at high level to get gear for your character. I personally wouldn't pay real money for the items, but in-game gold is fine. At least the game gives you an opportunity to actually spend the gold you have amassed over the course of the game. Not all RPGs have things worth spending gold on.

Biggest problem with the game is the itemization and skill system. The first has a very detrimental effect on your desire to keep up the loot hunt - and the second means you have little to no reason to replay the game.

Just about the two most vital features in Diablo - and they managed to mess them both up by relying on the inevitably short-term feedback through endless iterative testing.

Diablo 3 has become a game about gold. Its endgame, with the auction house at its heart, is about slow, incremental progression, cash runs and repeated boss raids. It relies on grind-heavy objectives that feel very different to the rush of new skills I enjoyed on the journey to level 60.

Originally Posted by DArtagnan
Biggest problem with the game is the itemization and skill system. The first has a very detrimental effect on your desire to keep up the loot hunt - and the second means you have little to no reason to replay the game.

Just about the two most vital features in Diablo - and they managed to mess them both up by relying on the inevitably short-term feedback through endless iterative testing.

Are you saying that they didn't playtest for multiple runs all the way to high level characters? They certainly had enough time.

Isn't that what most RPGs boil down to in the end though? Diablo has simply taken that formula to the extreme, by introducing an auction house and having the player repeat boss runs and grind at high level.

But really, how else would a developer develop end game content in a game like Diablo? For one thing, most Diablo players prefer grinding. Besides, the game's content can only be interesting and fresh for so long. 60 levels of content is a ton of content, so once you're done with that, then what? At least Blizzard has given you the option to grind away for high level loot. It's a very rudimentary way to extend the game and many people appreciate the option that Blizzard has given them.

This guy complaining in the article is expecting what? An endless amount of unique, interesting content? At some point the game has to end and the content has to be over. Again, Blizzard has given you the option of grinding to keep the game going for longer than a normal game would last. I think that's a good thing.

The original Diablos were designed to endlessly grind as well as have stories that ended. This is consistent with those. The problem is that "endless grind" has a bad connotation here. But not in the originals, becasue for them it was more interesting and less "grindy".

Grinding for uninteresting bits of gold to spend on the AH is never going to be as fun as hearing the TINK! of an amulet or ring dropping. Or the realization that some unique piece of armor just dropped.

The problem with D3 is that they made Inferno combat incredibly un-fun. And then proceeded to dull any and all personal achievements (ie. loot drops) with the implementation of a one stop shopping mall.

I disagree with that first part Drithius. Saving up gold for some uber item on the auction house sounds just as fun as getting a drop if you ask me. It gives you something to shoot for. Once you save up that amount of gold it will feel awesome to know you can finally purchase your item.

I remember playing Final Fantasy 11 and saving up my gold to buy items at the auction house. It was pretty rewarding and fun. I imagine some people would prefer hand choosing their items rather than random drops anyway.

I just don't see that as a downfall for Blizzard, but to each their own.